Geomorphology Project
Over the course of the semester you will apply the things you learn in class by creating a project about a landform. You will choose a landform, read 2 or 3 scientific papers about the landform and/or the processes that create it, find a local example to do some measurements on, write a paper about your work, and give a presentation to the class about it.
General Guidelines
All materials will be turned in electronically to my email:
blissclass at gmail. If you want, your paper could take a non-traditional format, like a webpage, but it will be graded based on the content and not the presentation. Proofread your paper! Use the Chicago Manual of Style for writing guidance and their “author-date system” for citations. Use the [T] form in the text and the [R] form in the bibliography. See
chicagomanualofstyle.org. If possible, please include a digital copy of (or a url for) the articles you read. Late papers will be accepted until one week after their due dates and docked one letter grade.
If you get stuck at any point with the paper, fieldwork, or presentation, feel free to ask questions.
Due Dates
As noted on the
syllabus, various aspects of the project will be due as listed below. The project for this class will form 20% of your total class grade. The project grade is broken down into the 100 points listed.
| September 11th | Proposal | 5 points |
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| November 4th | Literature Review | 20 points |
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| No Due Date | Site Visit | |
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| December 15th | Write Up | 45 points |
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| December 4th - 11th | Presentations | 30 points |
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Proposal
- What landform will your project focus on?
- Where is the example of the landform that you will visit? It should be a
location that you can visit in the field, spend some time observing, describing,
taking measurements, and if you like, taking photographs. This means
also that you must be able to obtain access to the site. Is it on public
property? Can you get permission from the landowner?
- Why is this landform interesting (to you or to a more general audience)?
- What resources will you consult for the project? You should be able to find at least two
journal articles that relate directly to your topic. A good place to begin
might be citations in your text, either at the end of chapters, or referenced
in the text material and included at the end of the text. We have a few
journals accessible in our library, including Geomorphology
in PDF format online, Progress in Physical Geography, Geology, and
Quaternary Research. Your list of articles may change as you work on it, but
you should make sure that there is enough information available to complete the project.
At this point you should list at least two journal articles that are related to your landform.
You should write your proposal in a paragraph form that will allow you to easily turn it into the introduction for your finished project (the resources cited part becomes the bibliography). If you get stuck, ask questions early.
Literature Review
- What were the main conclusions of the 2 or 3 papers you read (paraphrased in your own words)?
- Prior to going into the field, consult a selection of topographic maps, air photos from the
department collection or from Google, soils maps, and geologic maps. Write a description of your site based on the maps and photos. What
is this landscape like? For example, describe the geology, climate, soils, vegetation, relief, slope, location relative to large
geomorphic features such as the ocean, mountains. Add your sources to your bibliography.
Site Visit
- Visit your study site. Write a field description of what you
observe. Take any measurements you can think of.
Draw diagrams or a sketch map of your feature.
- Can you see evidence of the process(es) that created your feature; consider which processes are still active, or is this a relict landform?
- Do a bit of analysis, comparing what you learned in the literature
with what you observed in the field. How different is your field site from
the examples presented in the literature? If different, can you
hypothesize why? What methods would you use to pursue a more in-depth study
of your field site if you could, and what sort of information would they
provide you?
Write-Up
Here you will write a few more paragraphs that bring together everything you've learned about your place. This is also an opportunity to revise what you have turned in so far to make up any lost points. If you are happy with the grade you received on earlier parts of the project then you need not revise those sections.
Your paper should be about 6 pages long (not including maps, diagrams, etc.), 12 point type, 1 inch margins, double spaced.
- The write-up should include the introductory section you already wrote briefly
describing the landform, the site, and why this
topic is interesting. You should add to that a brief description of what
you learned in the field. Points already awarded.
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Literature review of your topic. Points already awarded.
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Describe your study site. Points already awarded.
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The fourth section should describe your field methods and data,
and what you observed or measured in the field. 20 points.
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The fifth section should interpret your data and describe what
you learned, including how your site or feature differed from those
described in the literature, and why (if you can guess). What further work
would you have done, given more time, equipment, expertise, and what might
you have learned from further work? You might also talk about how the
geomorphology affects the people living in the area. 10 points.
- Figures.
Your paper should also include such things as maps, photos, and/or diagrams
to illustrate your work. Assign them figure numbers and refer to them in your paper.
Write captions for each item that explain what the figure shows. These do not count toward the page limit. 5 points.
- Finally, you should include a bibliography
of references cited in your paper. Attach a copy of your
field notes as an appendix. 5 points.
- Clear and concise writing is key to effective scientific communication. 5 points.
Presentations
The presentation can take the form of a PowerPoint slide show, a spoken presentation, a skit, a song, a home video, a classroom demonstration, or something else creative. Depending on how many people we wind up with, the presentations will be about 30-45 minutes long. The presentations will take place during the last few class periods. Presentations will be graded using the following criteria.
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Clear presentation of the information: 5pts.
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Level of detail in the presentation (it ought to be greater than previous lectures): 10pts.
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Synthesis of ideas from the different data sources: 10pts.
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Engage the audience: 5pts.
Acknowledgements
This project assignment is modified from Dolly Friedel's Fall 2006 course.